TRAI Upset Over AutoPlay Video Ads On Websites; Releases Report Which Slams Telcos Over Call Drops

Rs 500 crore worth video advertisement industry in India is in deep trouble now. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI is clearly upset and angry over automatic video advertisements which run on several websites. TRAI is angry on the fact that such websites force the user to spend huge amounts of data, without his consent.

Besides consumption of previous data, usability aspect too suffers as the video ads which automatically runs disrupts the original intention of that person to visit that website.

As per reports coming in, TRAI wants to ‘investigate’ this modus operandi of website owners and advertisers, which causes ‘involuntary download of data’ which causes direct financial harm to the users.

An unnamed official from TRAI said, “Typically, I have not come to that site to visit those advertisement, I have come to that site to consume its content. The video ads on a webpage keep on buffering and downloading. Because of this a user’s data is consumed without the permission or authorisation, which is a serious problem,”

This is one of those instances, where TRAI is working hard to become the end users’ advocate, and assist them to save their hard earned money. TRAI has found that due to such automatic video ads, the consumers ends up spending unnecessary data.

The official further said, “We have to be a bit proactive in consumer protection as far as data is concerned because many people do not understand the complicated metrics used for internet data, and they end up finishing 80-85 per cent of their data packs without actually using that much.”

Telcos Slammed For Poor Quality of Calls

Last month, Supreme Court had quashed TRAI’s order to telecom firms for compensating dropped calls.

Undeterred by this disappointment, TRAI is now attempting to scientifically and statistically prove that telecom firms are indeed in fault over poor quality of calls, and dropped calls are happening due to their fault.

In their order quashing TRAI’s order, Supreme Court had said that telecom firms cant be forced to compensate for call drops, adding, TRAI’s order to telecom firms was arbitrary, unreasonable & non-transparent.

In an indirect reply, TRAI has now come up with research reports, based by data and stats on the quality of infrastructure provided by leading telecom firms in India.

In their first report prepared for Delhi, TRAI has found that except MTNL, none of the telecom firms meet the standard benchmark quality for setting up a call!

When it comes to Internet, then besides Reliance Communications for 2G and Vodafone for 3G, none of the telecom firms meet the benchmarks.

TRAI said, “Airtel, Vodafone, Reliance, Aircel and Idea need to further improve the Call Drop Rate performance. The CDMA operators and MTNL need to improve across all parameters, in order to offer acceptable levels of service,”

Besides, TRAI is also attempting to bring in legislation which will give them more power to implement major changes.

Soon, such reports would be published for 11 more cities, which can be used in future for further legal case in case of call drops.

Earlier this week, we had shared how telecom firms are fooling their consumers by masking all call drops and thereby earning more revenues.

We would keep you updated as TRAI comes up with more fireworks and evidence to protect consumer rights against telecom firms.